Piotrkow Trybunalski - PKS - Buses and Buses - Transportation - Attractions

Piotrkow Trybunalski is located in central Poland in Lodz province on the Strava River. It has a population of about 69,000, making it the second most populous city in the province right after Lodz. The city's name comes from the first name "Piotr," while the second part "Trybunalski" derives from the fact that the Crown Tribunal held office here for more than 200 years.

Piotrkow lies in the former land of Sieradz, where the historical borders of Mazovia, Malopolska and Greater Poland met. It received city rights in the 13th century. Its history was made up of representatives of many nations, religions and cultures. At the end of the 16th century it was a royal city. The first parliamentary assemblies, bishops' synods or the first bicameral parliament took place there.

Piotrkow Trybunalski - attractions

What to see in Piotrkow? The most important sights and attractions are discussed below.

Trybunalski Market Square

The market square in Piotrkow is relatively small. Until 1867, there was a town hall on it, as the outline of the foundations on the market square and a commemorative plaque remind us. Piotrkow's town hall was the place where the Crown Tribunal - the highest court of the Republic - sat, and the market square was the city's main square serving as the commercial and administrative center of the city. The square is surrounded by 18th and 19th century townhouses with classicist facades. Some of them stand on the foundations of earlier, even medieval buildings. While in Piotrkow, it is also worth seeing the remains of the medieval city walls. The most impressive fragment of these walls can be found in the facade of the former Dominican nuns' convent in Kosciuszko Square.

Royal Castle (Tower Palace)

The Gothic-Renaissance castle of Piotrków was built in the early 16th century at the behest of Sigismund I the Old, who needed a residence for conventions and assemblies. This four-story building looks more like a tenement or a wide tower, and has no battlements, towers or other structures typical of fortresses, making it more likely to be referred to as a palace. It was here that the Polish sejmmy was held, to which the king convened the nobility, and now it is the location of a museum introducing the history of Piotrkow Trybunalski and its surroundings.

Great Synagogue

This synagogue is one of the best preserved synagogues in Poland. It is located in the eastern part of the city once known as the Great Village or Jewish Town of Piotrkow. It was built at the end of the 18th century on the site of a previous, old synagogue, with a Jewish cemetery next door. During World War II, the Nazis devastated the synagogue and destroyed its furnishings. As early as October 1939, the Germans established Europe's first ghetto in Piotrkow, which existed for three years until some 22,000 people living there at the time were deported to the Treblinka extermination camp. The synagogue now houses the Piotrkow Trybunalski State Archive.

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Trybunal

Located near the market square, the Church of St. Francis Xavier dates back to the early 18th century and is one of the most valuable monuments in the city, combining Baroque and Rococo features. Inside it is richly decorated - note the gilded altars and Baroque polychromes. The main altar contains an image of Our Lady of the Tribunal, the patron saint of Polish parliamentarians.

Marzipan Museum

Located just off the market square, the museum is run by students from the Piotrkow branch of Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce. The place popularizes knowledge about marzipan, which used to be an extremely expensive delicacy, hosted only on the richest tables and treated like medicine because it was created by apothecaries. The museum conducts interesting workshops, where you can learn a lot not only about marzipan, but also about other sweets, and make a marzipan ball with your own hands.